Another market research firm has previously estimated the iPhone 3G's component cost at approximately $100, however that firm had estimated a $170 cost for the iPhone's previous incarnation, seemingly agreeing with the notion that Apple has been able to cut costs while adding features with the new iPhone.
Apple is set to launch the iPhone 3G on July 11th in 20 countries. Reports of the mandatory contract agreements at the time of iPhone 3G purchase have many worried about the logistics of executing this plan on launch day. When the original iPhone was launched, users were allowed to activate their phone and choose a rate plan at home.
At least one O2 rep has been telling customers that they will be able to sign up for contracts and rate plans ahead of the 3G launch to help expedite sales on launch day.
The main point he told me was this, From July 1st All O2 stores in the UK will offer pre registration Credit checks, You can come in store, have your contract setup for you, and a unique registration code given to you. The contract will simply be "paused" and wont be activated. No details are taken about which model phone you are going to be purchasing.
You can then turn up on July 11th and quote the registration code and then make a standard purchase of the phone and then the contract will become activated.
Unfortunately, mobile phone reps have been notoriously inaccurate with respect to pre-release iPhone information, but such a procedure would help alleviate long delays on launch day. If true, we would expect Apple to adopt a similar strategy in the U.S.
Seemingly in a response to growing competition from Apple and Google, Nokia is buying out Symbian Ltd and will open its mobile operating system for royalty free use. Nokia will pay $410 million to buy the remaining 52% share of the company that it does not already own and establish the Symbian Foundation:
"This is a significant milestone in our software strategy" said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO of Nokia. "Symbian is already the leading open platform for mobile devices. Through this acquisition and the establishment of the Symbian Foundation, it will undisputedly be the most attractive platform for mobile innovation. This will drive the development of new and compelling, web-enabled applications to delight a new generation of consumers."
The Symbian Foundation is a non-profit organization that will open source the Symbian operating system to bring "innovation to the platform" and to engage a broader community. Symbian Ltd was originally formed in partnership with Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola and Psion in 1998. Since then, Symbian's mobile operating system has grown to power two thirds of all existing smart phones and 6% of all phones worldwide.
The move seems to clearly be in response to Google's Android initiative which similarly offers an open platform for upcoming mobile phones. Yesterday, a report claimed that we would not see the first Android phones until the 4th quarter of this year, due to carrier delays. As well, Apple's plans to launch their App Store and promoting their new mobile development platform likely also played a factor in Nokia's decision.
Apple will be launching the App Store alongside the iPhone 2.0 Firmware update in "early July".
Apple has quietly added television shows for sale on iTunes Australia tonight. iTunes lists five networks with TV shows currently available: ABC Studios, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Disney Channel, Nine Network and MTV. Individual shows are priced at $2.99 per episode. At present, there appear to be 21 different shows represented.
Apple has been slowly rolling out international television and movie sales on iTunes. Movies remain unavailable on iTunes Australia at this time.
An official press release will likely be issued later today.
Japanese mobile carrier Softbank announced pricing for the iPhone 3G which will be launched on July 11th, 2008. Softbank will sell the iPhone 3G for 23,040 yen ($214.6) with a monthly charge of 7,280 yen ($67). The service plan provides unlimited data usage and also allows subscribers to talk free between Softbank subscribers for most of the day. This is 70% higher than the average rate plan in Japan of 4,310 yen ($40). Softbank believes they will be able to attract new users to their service:
"We expect users who pay a lot to migrate from au (KDDI's mobile arm) and DoCoMo," Son told a group of reporters. "There have been users who were just attracted to our low price, but the main point this time is feature attractiveness rather than price."
DoCoMo was also in talks with Apple and has "not given up on talks".
Softbank warns that they expect the first supply to "evaporate instantly" and "we in the company will probably fight to get one as well."
Meanwhile, details of other international pricing and service plans have been emerging, including (unconfirmed):
- UK PAYG iPhone priced at 370 - One Australian customer completed an online survey about phones and price plans and listed the iPhone at $220 upfront and $80/mo service plan but may just be speculative pricing. - iPhone Mexico rates leaked? - Vodafone and TIM (Italy) announced unsubsidized pricing 499 and 569 euro (8GB and 16GB).
Roughly Drafted claims to have knowledge of some of the possible new features coming in Snow Leopard. Unfortunately, the article appears to include some degree of speculation making it difficult to tease out what might be actual features.
One of the more interesting possibilities includes the introduction of full Resolution Independence. The groundwork for this feature was included in Leopard, but full implementation was not expected until a later release. The author speculates that the dramatic size reductions in the application sizes could be, in part, due to resolution independence. Besides file-size reductions by eliminating large bitmaps, Apple's research into resolution independence opens the door to ultra-high resolution displays. This could pave the way for Apple's previously rumored high resolution Cinema displays.
The benefit of resolution independence would be the ability for the operating system to scale its user interface smoothly to accommodate higher resolution displays. At present, most displays are around 100 dots-per-inch (dpi), meaning 100 pixels for every inch of screen display. If Apple were to introduce an ultra-high resolution display, it could have a dpi of 200 or 300. The same image viewed on these higher resolution screens would appear 2x to 3x smaller. Simply scaling up bitmapped images to fit the display would result in blocky/jagged images. If instead, they are described as vectors, as Apple is proposing, larger displays could smoothly scale the user interface to the size of the display.
The article also suggests that 3rd party support for the multi-touch trackpads, expanded data detectors, auto activation of fonts, and ZFS support (which is listed in features for Snow Leopard Server) are also coming.
Update Some have suggested that the reduction in Snow Leopard's filesize is simply related to languages and interface builder (nib) files, and that resolution independence does not play a role. Pipian demonstrates this effect.
"Mature markets such as the United States, Western Europe, and Japan currently account for 58 percent of the worlds installed PCs, but these markets only account for 15 percent of the worlds population," said George Shiffler, research director at Gartner. "There's a startling difference in per capita PC penetration between mature and emerging markets. Of course, much of this difference reflects the disparity in average living standards between mature and emerging markets. But, rapid economic development across emerging markets is not only narrowing the disparity in average living standards, it's closing the difference in per capita PC penetration between mature and emerging markets."
"We expect per capita PC penetration in emerging markets to double by 2013," added Mr. Shiffler. "Rapid penetration in emerging markets is being driven by the explosive expansion of broadband and wireless connectivity in these markets, the continuing fall in PC average selling prices (ASPs), and the general realization that PCs are an indispensable tool for advancement."
International sales have typically consisted of 40-50% of Apple's revenue, and Apple specifically noted that they were experiencing marketshare growth in virtually all European and Asian countries during their 1Q 2008 conference call.
Last week's news of Apple's adoption of the SproutCore Javascript framework was met with a shrug of the shoulders by some web developers. Indeed, SproutCore itself is just the packaging together of existing web technologies into a developer-friendly package. No brand new capabilites were introduced to what existing web applications are currently able to do. That being said, a technical interview (podcast) with SproutCore's creator provides some interesting insight behind its development. Specifically, special efforts have been made to provide an efficient development environment as well as efforts to decouple the application from the server itself. In essense, the final web application runs in your browser alone and can be entirely independent of the web servers.
By itself, this is just an interesting footnote for end users, however, a few other tidbits make for some interesting future possibilties.
With the introduction of Safari 3.1, Apple introduced a few Safari-specific features. This included CSS Animation and downloadable fonts. We've also heard that Apple demonstrated even more advanced browser-based 3D animation capabilities at WWDC. At WWDC, these features were demoed in the context of the iPhone, allowing developers to create CoverFlow-like functionality and animation within mobile Safari itself.
Another relevant feature is the recent adoption of client-side storage which allows web-applications to store data locally. This means that web-applications could be independent of an internet connection.
Developers and users alike may cringe at the thought of these poorly-adopted web features, since only Safari and web-kit based browsers are capable of supporting many of these features at this time.
However, Apple's inclusion of "Save as Web Application" feature in Safari 4 could alter this reality. By bundling Webkit into a standalone executable, developers could theoretically release downloadable Webkit-based applications for use on Windows XP, Tiger and Leopard. To the end user, these would appear as standard applications, but the underlying technologies would be Webkit and Javascript.
TimesOnline warns that iPhone 3G owners will be able to rack up large wireless bills faster than ever. While the UK carrier for the Apple iPhone offers an unlimited data plan, this only applies when you are located in the UK. Once you travel abroad, the cost to download 1MB of data can be as high as 6/megabyte (~$12 US). This means an average BBC iPlayer program could cost as much as 1,800 when roaming in the U.S.
Of course, this is true for all mobile phones, but iPhone users do tend to take more advantage of their data plans. A number of stories emerged after the introduction of the original iPhone about inadvertently large roaming bills.
Fortunately, the iPhone firmware now allows you to turn data roaming off, which avoids accidentally walking into this problem.
Previously unpublished Mac Photoshop CS4 screenshot, click for larger
Adobe seems to be hard at work at Adobe Creative Suite 4*. In May, they released public betas of CS4 versions of Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Soundbooth. Existing CS3 owners are able to continue to use these applications beyond the initial 48 hour window.
One of the most obvious changes in the new CS4 applications is the user interface, and this change will also be carried over into the next version of Adobe's Photoshop. This decision is described in detail by Adobe's John Nack. Nack describes how Adobe has been trying to make the interfaces on their apps more consistent and shows off a screenshot of the new Mac Photoshop "application frame". This application frame contains both user interface elements as well as documents themselves. Despite expressing his own initial resistance, Nack explains the advantages to the consolidated window:
- It facilitates N-up (2-up, 3-up, etc.) document layouts that adapt as you adjust the interface. Think "live window tiling"--great for comparing, compositing, etc. - It makes it easier to move the entire application and its contents, including from one monitor to another. - It prevents documents from getting obscured by panels (palettes). - It blocks out the contents of the desktop, minimizing visual clutter. (A number of Mac users have requested this option for many years. I've known quite a few people who open a small blank document, hit F to put it into full-screen mode, and then put it into the background to hide the desktop. Willingness to live with that kind of hack demonstrates some genuine desire for a real fix.)
For Mac users resistant to the change, Nack assures readers that the new interface is optional, and users can easily disable the consolidated view, or you can use choose to use elements of both methods.
There's been no public timeframe for the release of this next version of Adobe's Photoshop, but there were some contested claims of an October release target. The next Mac version of Photoshop has been announced to remain a 32-bit application. 64-bit support is expected on the subsequent version for the Mac.
* Note that Adobe has objected to labeling this next version of Creative Suite as "Creative Suite 4" or "CS4", but for consistency's sake with the rest of the world, we are using that designation until Adobe officially announces otherwise.
German site Apfeltalk.de has posted (via Engadget) screenshots from Safari 4 as well as Apple's preview release of Snow Leopard given to developers at WWDC.
Not surprisingly, since the next version of Mac OS X is being billed as having few new features, there isn't a whole lot to capture in screenshots. "No new features" isn't entirely accurate, of course, as Apple is focusing on underlying performance and stability in Snow Leopard.
The screenshots, however, do capture the new Address Book with Microsoft Exchange support coming in Snow Leopard. Apfeltalk.de also provides a series of images capturing Safari 4's "Save as Web Application" feature which allows users to save specific web pages as "Site Specific Browsers". This allows users to save specific websites as self-contained applications that can be launched independently of Safari. Fluid is a 3rd party application that provides similar functionality on current versions of Mac OS X and Safari.
PC manufacturers have recently introduced a number of new ultra-thin laptops that share a similar profile to Apple's MacBook Air. The HP Voodoo Envy edges out the MacBook Air with a slightly smaller (0.7 vs .76 inches) maximum thickness and uses the same custom Intel processors (SP7700 and SP7500) that were designed specifically for Apple.
CNet reminds us that this custom processor is based on Intel's older Merom (65-nm) chip design. An Intel representative confirmed to CNet that a 45-nm Penryn/Montevina version of the chip is expected to be introduced later this year. That chip will be suitable for use in a future version of the MacBook Air. According to Wikipedia, the next version of this "SP" line of chips come in at 2.26GHz and 2.4GHz but with a slightly higher power consumption (25 watts vs 20 watts).
The MacBook Air was introduced at Macworld San Francisco 2008 and currently ships at 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz processor speeds.
Update: Several readers note that Apple may choose to take advantage of the improved power-efficiency of the Penryn processor and instead keep the MacBook Air's processor clocked at the same speed. The decreased power usage could extend the battery life of the MacBook Air.
MobileToday.co.uk reports that Apple is actively working with O2 to allow customers to buy the 3G iPhone and sign up for service at Apple Retail stores in the UK.
With the adoption of the subsidized pricing, iPhone 3G customers will be required to sign up for service at the time of purchasing. MobileToday notes that Apple's retail staff is unfamiliar with the process of signing up customers onto subscription contracts and also have no means to run credit checks. O2 is said to be working closely with Apple to allow them to perform these tasks.
Meanwhile O2 confirmed that "prepay iPhones" are also to be sold at Apple retail, O2 and Carphone warehouse. These unsubsidized prepay iPhones will not require a contract but are expected to cost around 350. The cost for a subsidized iPhone 3G from O2 ranges from free to 99 for the 8GB model and from free to 159 for the 16GB model depending on the service plan chosen. For reference, the original iPhone was priced at 269.
After our story about the AT&T subsidy for the Apple iPhone, it appears there remains an enormous amount of confusion about AT&T's iPhone 3G upgrade policy. We had previously posted a guide based on circulating rumors describing individual eligibility for the $199/$299 iPhone 3G pricing.
The main area of confusion relates to existing AT&T customers who don't currently own an iPhone. Some interpreted Apple's initial announcement of $199/$299 as an absolute price, not subject to qualification. Adding to the confusion is that AT&T sales representatives are giving conflicting information about whether or not individuals need to meet special eligibility requirements.
A recent InformationWeek story provides some official word from AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel. Siegel clarifies once and for all that current AT&T customers using something other than an iPhone will need to qualify to receive the iPhone 3G's subsidized $199/$299 price.
While payment history is one factor, "how long the person has left on the current contract" also weighs into the decision. Siegel refused to provide exact criteria since "there's a whole lot of variables, and [he] would hate to give specific criteria." AT&T's standard upgrade criteria, however, are published online and depends on a combination of how much your monthly bill is and how much time is left on your contract.
Siegel states that an "unsubsidized" price for the iPhone has not yet been determined and AT&T will announce that price sometime before the iPhone 3G goes on sale.
To Summarize:
- iPhone 3G will launch in the U.S. on July 11th - $199 (8GB), $299 (16GB) represents subsidized iPhone 3G prices - If you are currently an iPhone AT&T customer or not currently an AT&T customer, you qualify for the subsidized pricing - If you are currently a non-iPhone AT&T customer, you will be subject to certain qualification criteria. AT&T's "standard" upgrade criteria are posted here but may be subject to change. - If you don't qualify, there will be a higher unsubsidized price for the iPhone 3G which will be announced before July 11th. - Speculation: While rumors have pegged AT&T's subsidy at $325, it seems very unlikely that the unsubsidized price will be this high ($199+$325). Historically, canceling your existing mobile phone contract for the typical $175 early-termination fee would automatically qualify you for any future subsidized phones. As a result, we suspect the unsubsidized pricing will be about the same as the early-termination fee (about $199+$175 for 8GB).
Apple released a new version of Safari for Windows today. Version 3.1.2 is recommended for all Safari Windows users and includes stability improvements and the latest security updates.
Computerworld reports that the new version of Safari for Windows provides a fix for a possible "carpet bomb" issue that was described by Nitesh Dhanjani in May. This exploit alone was considered a nuisance by itself, but combined with other flaws in Windows and Internet Explorer could have resulted in a security risk.
This latest update appears to address this and other security issues for Safari for Windows users.
Barrons reports on a recent analyst note from Oppenheimer which claims that AT&T is discounting the iPhone by $325 to reach its $199 (8GB) and $299 (16GB) prices. This means the actual unsubsidized iPhone cost would be $524 and $624, respectively.
The higher subsidy rate for the iPhone, he says, reflects AT&Ts faith in the iPhones ability to attract new subs and increase ARPU. And he also says it has positive implications for Apple, since it effectively results in a playing field that is tilted in their favor. Rivals must scramble to hit a lower, less profitable price point, he writes.
The analyst also reports that AT&T is paying Apple an additional $100 per phone for iPhones sold in Apple stores for a total commission of $425. No reasoning for this additional commission is given.
Based on this higher-than-standard subsidy, it is believed that Apple's revenue for the iPhone 3G is comparable to the original iPhone where Apple received a portion of the monthly subscriber fees. This agreement has been modified with the iPhone 3G with the substitution of an upfront subsidy rather than a monthly payment.
The large amount of the subsidy introduces some interesting issues for some AT&T customers who are trying to upgrade to the iPhone 3G. Little official information has come out of AT&T or Apple regarding rate plans or eligibility to qualify for the subsidized iPhone price. It seems clear that existing iPhone customers will be able to buy a fully subsidized iPhone 3G, but the answer for current non-iPhone AT&T customers remains murky. Known and rumored information for upgrade eligibility has been consolidated in this guide.
Apple announced today that they had sold over 5 billion songs on iTunes. According to data from the NPD Group, iTunes remains the number one music retailer in the US. iTunes features the largest online music catalog with over eight million songs.
Apple also reveals that customers are buying and renting over 50,000 movies every day making iTunes the most popular online movie store as well. iTunes now houses over 20,000 TV episodes and over 2,000 films including over 350 in high definition.
Apple first reported it had become the number one music retailer in the U.S. in April.
Australian IT reports that Telstra will join Optus and Vodafone in launching the new iPhone 3G in Australia.
Telstra stayed quiet as its rivals wracked up marketing points by standing in the glow of the local iPhone launch, but will now go ahead and sell the device according to people close to the company.
According to their sources, Telstra's introduction will lag behind July 11th introduction and is targeting a July 22th sales date.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more.
